pilates

Imprint vs. Release

Everybody’s body is a different, so Pilates terminology will effect individuals in a different way. On the left is a picture of my spine in imprint (my low back pressed against the floor). This is the positions we typically use if we are going to lift our feet off the ground. It helps protect the back. On the right is a picture of my spine in neutral (there is a slight arch in my low back like the natural curve of a spine). We use this position when we are doing exercises with our feet on the floor. It helps incorporate additional abdominal muscles, so that you can get more work with each exercise. Range of motion for everyone differs. Most people also feel more comfortable in one position over the other.

Lie down and do some pelvic […]

Imprint vs. ReleaseMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:39-04:00

Bernarr Macfadden

You probably haven’t heard of him, but Bernarr Macfadden what the fitness enthusiast of his day (1868-1955). While he seems to have been a bit quirky (but so was Joseph Pilates so we’ll let that slide), he purported living a healthy lifestyle without processed foods of pills. He was known as “The Father of Physical Culture.”

What did he believe in?

Calorie Restriction
Walking (you can never walk to much)
And PILATES. He believed good health had a great deal to do with your spine and supported pilates-style exercises.

Bernarr MacfaddenMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:39-04:00

Spring Cleaning

This time of year I always get an itch to do a major spring cleaning. The kind where you pull all the furniture away from the wall and vacuum behind and under it. I think it is important and helps keep the house healthy. I know it takes time but if you have a spring cleaning planned, think about pulling your belly button to your spine while you work. The seven dwarfs whistled; you can engage your core! Think about having proper body alignment when you are mopping or vacuuming. The point of pilates is that you can incorporate what you learn into daily life so why not try it out?

Spring CleaningMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:40-04:00

Tai Chi on the Yangtze

While I must admit I didn’t get to do as much Pilates in China as I hoped, I did get to do Tai Chi every morning while we were on the boat. It was a wonderful way to wake up, especially the morning when we were cruising through the Three Gorge Dam locks. Tai Chi is very methodical–something a pilates practitioner can appreciate.

I’d never done it before and we learned beginning poses. Our instructor didn’t speak any English and we didn’t speak any Chinese, but it was clear what we were supposed to do. A 90-year-old-man took the class with me. I found him to be an inspiration.

Tai Chi on the YangtzeMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:40-04:00

Balancing the Great Wall

I’m sorry that this video was taken sideways, but you can still get the basic concept (I’m the girl in the red jacket). The Great Wall of China is very slick in the snow, especially when your shoes have little traction. I wasn’t expecting snow on my trip to China. What does this have to do with Pilates you ask? I believe practicing Pilates has improved my balance, which was imperative when I basically skied down the wall. You’ll see me do a 360 in this video but I did recover and I didn’t fall once, though there were people falling all around us.

Balancing the Great WallMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:40-04:00